Ingredients

Usage

Directions

Take 1 tablet 30 minutes before breakfast and 1 tablet 30 minutes before dinner, or as directed by your healthcare practitioner.

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Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is an eight-carbon disulfide water- and fat-soluble compound that is synthesized in small quantities in the liver and other tissues. Oral supplementation readily crosses the blood brain barrier after it is absorbed in the small intestine, goes into the portal vein, and is distributed via systemic circulation. Once in the tissues, ALA can be found inside and outside the cells including inside the mitochondria where it functions naturally as a coenzyme for the oxidation of pyruvate, alpha ketoglutarate, and branched-chain amino acids.*

Researchers recently identified lipoic acid’s mechanisms of action related to maintaining metabolic health. It has a direct binding site at the insulin receptor tyrosine kinase domain. ALA appears to modulate 5’-AMP-activated protein kinase and PPAR-regulated genes, to activate PPAR–alpha and PPAR-gamma, and to support expression of PPAR-gamma mRNA and protein in heart tissue and smooth muscle of the aorta.*

Controlled-release technology supports efficacy of alpha-lipoic acid in helping to maintain blood sugar already in the normal range. Data from a 12-week clinical study indicate that supplementation with Ultra ALA (1200 mg per day, divided doses) may support healthy C-peptide levels. C-peptide is used as an indication of insulin sensitivity.* Alpha-lipoic acid effectively neutralizes a variety of free radicals, including oxygen radicals and ionized metals. This action is particularly beneficial for people who have higher levels of oxidative stress.

Alpha-lipoic acid regenerates vitamins C and E, increases tissue levels of glutathione, and helps maintain the proper ratio of reduced to oxidized coenzyme Q10 in the mitochondria. In addition, alpha-lipoic acid may help the body rid itself of heavy metals.*

Healthy endothelial-mediated vasodilation is accepted as a surrogate marker for cardiovascular health and can be affected by synthesis, bioavailability, or action of nitric oxide (NO). Increased oxidative stress appears to play a significant role in neutralizing or inactivating NO. ALA’s antioxidant properties, along with its demonstrated safety and potency, qualify it as a prime candidate to evaluate for its ability to support healthy endothelial function.*

The ability of alpha-lipoic acid to improve energy metabolism and decrease oxidative stress alludes to its ability to support healthy mitochondrial function with age.*

Biotin has been added because chronic administration of lipoic acid lowers the activities of pyruvate carboxylase and betamethylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase in vivo by competing with biotin.*

Vitamin D3 Liquid is cholecalciferol derived from lanolin and provided in a liquid base of sunflower oil and purified water. In this liquid formula, vitamin D and sunflower oil are combined using a special microemulsification process designed to create a natural micellized matrix which, when coated by the stomach bile, will encourage absorption.*

Ingredients

Usage

Directions

Shake well before using. Take one drop, one to five times daily (plain or in liquid), or as directed by your healthcare practitioner.

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While vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is made in the skin when 7-dehydrocholesterol reacts with sunlight, many things affect the degree to which this biosynthesis occurs, including time of day, seasons, location, smog/pollution, clothing, shade of skin (darker skin requires more sun), and sunscreen use. Low-cholesterol diets and certain cholesterol therapies can also affect vitamin D formation. By some estimates, one billion people worldwide have vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency. Reversing deficiency and maintaining optimal serum vitamin D levels beneficially impacts biochemistry and numerous body systems; this is largely because calcitriol—the metabolic product of vitamin D—is a secosteroid hormone that targets over 200 genes in a wide variety of tissues.[2,3] As the research demonstrates, vitamin D is clearly imperative for the development, growth, and maintenance of a healthy body from gestation to senescence.*

Bone Health

The body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium, and the importance of vitamin D in skeletal health and bone density is well established. Although bone density is most often associated with calcium intakes, insufficient vitamin D negatively affects calcium absorption. Without adequate absorption, the body must take calcium from its stores in the skeleton, which weakens existing bone and prevents the formation of strong, new bone. Clinical research shows that taking vitamin D orally with calcium supplements can support healthy bone turnover, and adequate calcium and vitamin D throughout life—as part of a well-balanced diet—may reduce the risk of osteoporosis.*

The Expanding Roles of Vitamin D

The role of vitamin D in good health continues to expand as the knowledge of this vitamin’s effects on different body systems grows. Research now suggests that optimal serum levels of vitamin D support normal cell differentiation, cardiovascular health, normal immune function, good balance, healthy mood, normal fetal development, neuronal growth and neurodevelopment, healthy glucose metabolism, musculoskeletal comfort, periodontal health, and normal intestinal immune responses. Areas of research that have gained momentum over the past several years concern the relationship of vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency to changes in cellular proliferation, changes in fetal brain development, and mental health. Evidence is also mounting that vitamin D supplementation may provide key immune support.*

D2, D3, and Metabolites

As previously stated, D3 is the form of vitamin D produced in the skin. D2 (ergocalciferol) is derived from fungal sources by activating ergosterol with ultraviolet light. It is not naturally present in the human body. After vitamin D is formed in the skin or taken orally, it is metabolized into two different substances within the body: calcidiol (25-hydroxyvitamin D) and calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D). Calcidiol is the body’s main storage form of vitamin D, while calcitriol (made from calcidoil) is “activated” vitamin D. Although D2 and D3 are similar biochemically, a recent study reported D3 to be approximately 87% more potent in raising and maintaining serum calcidiol concentrations and in producing two- to threefold greater storage of vitamin D than did equimolar D2.*

Clinical Applications

Helps the Body Generate Specialized Proresolving Lipid Mediators, Such as Resolvins and Protectins*

Supports Cardiovascular Health*

Supports Healthy Mental Functioning*

Supports Healthy Glucose and Insulin Metabolism*

UltraOmega is a concentrated fish oil that provides 900 mg of EPA and DHA and is delivered in a small, fish-gelatin–based softgel. The softgels are covered with a GRAS-certified enteric coating so that they are easy to swallow and the EPA/DHA content is optimally absorbed. EPA and DHA from fish oil promote wellness by supporting cardiovascular health, cytokine balance, joint health, and brain and nervous system function.*

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Usage

Directions

Take one softgel daily, or use as directed by your healthcare practitioner. Consult your healthcare practitioner prior to use, especially if you are taking a blood thinner. Do not use if tamper seal is damaged.

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Source and Processing

The omega-3 concentrate used in UltraOmega is exclusively sourced from US-caught fish, namely certified sustainable wild Alaskan walleye pollock and Pacific whiting obtained from the cold, clear waters off Alaska. Freshly caught fish are processed within hours to make quick-frozen fish fillets. The result is exceptionally fresh raw fish oil. To achieve the level of quality found in UltraOmega, a series of critical steps are undertaken: (1) raw fish oil triglycerides are broken down into ethyl esters; (2) EPA and DHA are separated from other fats and concentrated through flash distillation; (3) cold extraction further concentrates the oil, resulting in up to 85% omega-3; (4) molecular distillation removes fishy odor and taste, resulting in extremely fresh oil; (5) PCBs, chlorinated organopollutants, and toxic heavy metals are removed through filtration; and (6) high purity products are packaged in 190 kg drums or 900 kg totes under inert gas.

GRAS-Certified Enteric Coating

UltraOmega employs a fish-gelatin—not a bovine-gelatin—softgel that is enteric-coated and GRAS-certified to further guarantee quality. The enteric coating helps ensure that the fish oils reach the small intestine before being metabolized, resulting in better delivery of actives to the intestines for absorption. This delivery may also reduce the occurrence of a fishy aftertaste.*

Ethyl Ester Form

Despite aggressive marketing claims to the contrary, a recent publication by Oelrich et al found that no significant difference in the effect on serum triglycerides was detected in patients taking triglyceride (TG) or ethyl ester forms of omega-3 supplements. In the study, three fish oil supplementation forms were examined. The active therapy was 4 g/ day of combined EPA and DHA provided as: a 90% TG formulation, a 60% TG formulation, or ethyl esters (i.e., 0% TG). In addition to the main finding, researchers also noted that the omega-3 fish oils provided in the ethyl ester form tended to have less impact on increasing LDL-cholesterol levels compared to the omega-3 fish oils delivered in the triglyceride form.*

Health Benefits of EPA/DHA

Research and studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids antagonize arachidonic acidinduced eicosanoid formation; help generate resolvins and protectins to aid the body’s “cleanup” response to the arachidonic acid cascade; promote neurological health and mental functioning; and promote cardiovascular health, a balanced immune response, and healthy glucose and insulin metabolism. Research suggests that it takes 2 g/day of DHA supplementation over a period of a month to saturate the plasma and three to six months of supplementation to saturate the tissues. Concentrations of DHA increased in breast milk within less than a week of supplementation.*

Vitamin D3 Liquid is cholecalciferol derived from lanolin and provided in a liquid base of sunflower oil and purified water. In this liquid formula, vitamin D and sunflower oil are combined using a special microemulsification process designed to create a natural micellized matrix which, when coated by the stomach bile, will encourage absorption.*

Ingredients

Usage

Directions

Take one softgel daily, or as directed by your healthcare practitioner.

More Info

While vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is made in the skin when 7-dehydrocholesterol reacts with sunlight, many things affect the degree to which this biosynthesis occurs, including time of day, seasons, location, smog/pollution, clothing, shade of skin (darker skin requires more sun), and sunscreen use. Low-cholesterol diets and certain cholesterol therapies can also affect vitamin D formation. By some estimates, one billion people worldwide have vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency. Reversing deficiency and maintaining optimal serum vitamin D levels beneficially impacts biochemistry and numerous body systems; this is largely because calcitriol—the metabolic product of vitamin D—is a secosteroid hormone that targets over 200 genes in a wide variety of tissues. As the research demonstrates, vitamin D is clearly imperative for the development, growth, and maintenance of a healthy body from gestation to senescence.*

Bone Health

The body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium, and the importance of vitamin D in skeletal health and bone density is well established. Although bone density is most often associated with calcium intakes, insufficient vitamin D negatively affects calcium absorption. Without adequate absorption, the body must take calcium from its stores in the skeleton, which weakens existing bone and prevents the formation of strong, new bone. Clinical research shows that taking vitamin D orally with calcium supplements can support healthy bone turnover, and adequate calcium and vitamin D throughout life—as part of a well-balanced diet—may reduce the risk of osteoporosis.*

The Expanding Roles of Vitamin D

The role of vitamin D in good health continues to expand as the knowledge of this vitamin’s effects on different body systems grows. Research now suggests that optimal serum levels of vitamin D support normal cell differentiation, cardiovascular health, normal immune function good balance, healthy mood, normal fetal development, neuronal growth and neurodevelopment, healthy glucose metabolism, musculoskeletal comfort, periodontal health, and normal intestinal immune responses. Areas of research that have gained momentum over the past several years concern the relationship of vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency to changes in cellular proliferation, changes in fetal brain development, and mental health. Evidence is also mounting that vitamin D supplementation may provide key immune support.*

D2, D3, and Metabolites

As previously stated, D3 is the form of vitamin D produced in the skin. D2 (ergocalciferol) is derived from fungal sources by activating ergosterol with ultraviolet light. It is not naturally present in the human body. After vitamin D is formed in the skin or taken orally, it is metabolized into two different substances within the body: calcidiol (25-hydroxyvitamin D) and calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D). Calcidiol is the body’s main storage form of vitamin D, while calcitriol (made from calcidoil) is “activated” vitamin D. Although D2 and D3 are similar biochemically, a recent study reported D3 to be approximately 87% more potent in raising and maintaining serum calcidiol concentrations and in producing two- to threefold greater storage of vitamin D than did equimolar D2.*